Display device

ABSTRACT

A display device for exhibiting advertising material on an object, such as a gasoline pump, wherein there is provided a rectangular display frame for retaining the display material. A pair of supporting members are attached on opposite sides of the frame. An adjustable gripping assembly passing through openings in the supporting members grips the sides of the object so that the display frame is held in a stationary position.

United States Patent Snyder, Jr.

[451 Aug. 22, 1972 [54] DISPLAY DEVICE [72] Inventor: Harlan K. Snyder,Jr., River Forest,

Ill.

[73] Assignee: Chicago Display Company, Melrose Park, Ill.

[22 Filed: July 31, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 60,026

52 us. (:1. ..40/12s u 51 1111. C1. .0091 7/00 58 Field of Search ..40125, 125 11, 129 c, 138,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 351,990 11/1886 Mansure..40/125 H 1,505,046 8/1924 Lush ..40/125 11 1,989,781 2/1935 Zak..40/l29 C 3,234,677 2/1966 McDaniel ..40/ l 29 C 3,287,840 11/1966Keats ..40/1 38 3,392,467 7/ 1968 Hawes ..40/ l 29 C PrimaryExaminer-R0bert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-Wenceslao .l. ContrerasAttorney-Hume, Clement, Hume and Lee 57 ABSTRACT A display device forexhibiting advertising material on an object, such as a gasoline pump,wherein there is provided a rectangular display frame for retaining thedisplay material. A pair of supporting members are attached on oppositesides of the frame. An adjustable gripping assembly passing throughopenings in the supporting members grips the sides of the object so thatthe display frame is held in a stationary position.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures DISPLAY DEVICE This invention relates to adisplay device for exhibiting advertising material and, moreparticularly, to a display device for exhibiting advertising material ona gasoline pump.

I-Ieretofore, devices for mounting display cards and similar advertisingmaterial on objects have either been difficult and inconvenient to affixto the supporting object, have not been adapted to stay securelythereon, or have not been adjustable for varying sized structures, suchas gasoline pumps which are not of one standard size. Exemplary of priorart devices showing the previous problems encountered are the devicesdescribed in US. Pat. Nos. 3,208,173 and 3,392,467.

The present invention obviates the problems encountered in previousdevices by providing a device'corngripping assembly is passed. Thegripping assembly secures the frame to the top of the object and isadjustable to provide for mounting on structures of varying sizes. i

'FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a display device embodying thefeatures of this invention mounted on the top of a gasoline pump;

FIG. 2 is a vertical view ofthe display device illustrated in FIG.'1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the adjusting means of the displaydevice illustrated inFlG. l; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a display device embodying amodification of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2,there is illustrated a display device for exhibiting advertisingmaterial on a supporting object embodying the features of the presentinvention and indicated generally by reference numeral 10. The displaydevice 10 is mounted on, for purposes of illustration, a gasoline pumpindicated generally by reference numeral 12, and includes advertisingmaterial 14 positioned within a frame 15. A pair of supporting members,indicated generally by reference numeral 16, are attached on oppositesides of the frame 15 and maintain the frame 15 above the pump 12. Anadjustable gripping assembly 22 is positioned through openings 19 in thesupporting members 16 and grips the opposing, vertical sides of the pump12 so that the supporting members 16 and hence the frame 15 are held ina stationary position on the pump 12.

Considering now the display device 10 in moredetail, and referring toFIGS. 1 and 2, the display device 10 includes a rectangular frame 15,preferably of metal construction, retaining advertising material 14. Theretention of the advertising material 14 may be accomplished by anyconvenient means that lends to easy insertion and removaLThe displayframe 15 is supported above a gasoline pump 12 by supporting members 16.The gasoline pump 12 may be of the standard variety, which are notuniform in size. The supporting members 16 are L-shaped, having avertical leg portion 18 and a foot portion 20 located at right anglestoeach other. The foot portion 20 lies on the top surface of the pump 12while the vertical leg portion 18 is attached byany suitable means tothe vertical sides of the frame 15. Each of the leg portions 18 arepreferably constructed to be triangular-shaped and each have an opening19 located directly above the foot portion 20. The openings 19 permitthe adjustable gripping assembly 22 to be positioned through each of thesupporting members 16 and to lie across the top of the foot portions 20while gripping opposing sides of the pump 12.

The adjustable gripping assembly 22 is comprised of strap members 24 and26, each having an angle bracket 30 attached at one end. The strapmembers 24 and 26 described below in more detail, is supported on thefree end of the strap member 26 and is constructed so that it will holdthe strap members 24 and 26 in any desired position with respect to eachother. The angle brackets 30 are L-shaped, each having'a gripping pad 32hinged on one end. When the gripping assembly 22 is positioned on thepump 12, the angle brackets 30 pass through the openings 19 and lieacross the foot portions 20. The gripping pads 32 firmly grip theopposing vertical sides of the pump 12. To aid the pads 32 maintain astationary situation, the contacting face of each pad 32 has an adherentsurface. The adherent surface is formed by coating the contacting facewith any suitable adhesive or by affixing a rubber pad thereon. Thestrap members 24 and 26 are fixed in the proper position by theadjusting assembly 28 so that they are in tension and thus maintain aconstant pull on the brackets 30 and, hence, the gripping pads 32. Theadjusting assembly 28 can hold the strap members 24 and 26 in a varietyof positions so that the brackets 30 can contract or expand inrelationto each other, and thus may be positioned on pumps of varyingsizes.

The adjusting assembly 28, as seen in FIG. 3, is exemplary of suitableadjustment means and comprises a U-shaped bracket 35 secured to one endof the strap member 26. A bolt 36 is rotatably supported between thelegs of the U-shaped bracket 35 by a pin 37. Thus, the bolt 36 isrotatable through a arc so that it may be situated in either a verticalor a horizontal position. While the adjustable gripping assembly 22 isinitially being positioned on the pump 12, the bolt 36 is in a verticalposition so as to allow the strap member 24 to fit in the bracket 35between the strap member 26 and the bolt'36. Once the adjustablegripping assembly 22 has been positioned on the pump 12 and the strapmembers 24 and 26 have been adjusted to their desired positions, thebolt 36 is rotated to the horizontal position so that the threads on thebolt 36 mesh with slots 25 perforated in the strap member 24. The bolt36 is fitted to a socket device, which not shown in the drawings, thatallows the bolt 36 to rotate about its major axis. Thus, when contact ismade between the strap member 24 and the bolt 36 is turned as might bedone with an ordinary screw driver, the strap members 24 and 26 willmove in a linear direction. Thus, the strap members 24 and 26 can beadjusted once the adjusting assembly 28 is positioned on the pump 12 soas to pull the gripping pads 32 securely against the vertical sides ofthe pump 12.

To position the display device on the gasoline pump 12, the footportions 20 are first placed 'on the top of the pump 12. The strapmember 24 is positioned through the opening 19 in one of the verticalleg portions 18 while the strap member 26 is positioned through theopening 19 in the other vertical leg portion 18. The strap 24 ispositioned into the adjusting assembly 28 with the bolt 36 in a verticalposition. The strap members 24 and 26 are pushed together until theangle brackets 30 are in the openings 19 lying over the foot portions 20and the gripping pads 32 are in contact with the vertical sides of thepump 12. The bolt 36 is rotated to a horizontal position where contactis made with the slots 25 in the strap member 24. The bolt 36 is.

turned until the gripping pads 32 are firmly pulled into the verticalsides of the pump 12. The adjusting assembly 28 will hold the strapmembers 24 and 26 in a stationary position.

In a second embodiment of the invention, illustrated in F IG. 3, thedisplay frame 42 is modified to have a slot 44 cut into and along theentire length of its top member. Advertising material 40, beingsupported from a round rod 46, can be positioned in the display frame 42through the slot 44. The round rod 46 lies in the slot 44 and allows thedisplay material 40 to swing within the frame 42 when subjected to windforces.

It will be understood that changes may be made in the detail ofconstruction, arrangement and operation without departing from thespirit of the invention, especially as defined in the following claims.

We claim:

1. A display device for exhibiting advertising material on an objectcomprising:

a. a frame for supporting said advertising material;

b. a pair of L-shaped supporting members attached to said frame, each ofsaid supporting members having a vertical leg portion and a footportion, said leg portions each having an opening therein;

and

c. an adjustable gripping assembly for gripping sides of said object andfor releasably holding said supporting members in a stationary positionsaid gripping assembly passing across the top of said object and througheach of said openings.

2. The display device of claim 1 wherein said advertising material ishinged at the top of said frame so as to swing freely.

3. The display device of claim 1 wherein said gripping assemblycomprises first and second strap members, each of said strap membershaving gripping means fastened at one end adapted to grip the sides ofsaid object.

4. The display device of claim 3 wherein said gripping means comprisesgripping pads.

5. The display device of claim 3 wherein said gripping assembly includesadjusting means to move said first and second strap members andto movesaid gripping pads against said object.

6. A display device for exhibiting advertising material on an objectcomprising:

.afra efo su rtin said advertisin aterial' a pair 0 su B rtm membersattlil frame, each of said supporting members being L- shaped and havinga vertical leg portion and a foot portion, said leg portion having anopening therein; and

c. an adjustable gripping assembly comprising first and second strapmembers each having gripping pads attached to one end, said pads adaptedto grip the sides of said object, said gripping assembly furthercomprising adjusting means to move said first and second strap membersand to move said gripping pads against the sides of said object, saidgripping assembly passing through each of said openings to releasablyhold said supporting members in a stationary position.

7. The display device of claim 6 wherein said advertising material ishinged at the top so as to swing freely.

ed to said i

1. A display device for exhibiting advertising material on an objectcomprising: a. a frame for supporting said advertising material; b. apair of L-shaped supporting members attached to said frame, each of saidsupporting members having a vertical leg portion and a foot portion,said leg portions each having an opening therein; and c. an adjustablegripping assembly for gripping sides of said object and for releasablyholding said supporting members in a stationary position said grippingassembly passing across the top of said object and through each of saidopenings.
 2. The display device of claim 1 wherein said advertisingmaterial is hinged at the top of said frame so as to swing freely. 3.The display device of claim 1 wherein said gripping assembly comprisesfirst and second strap members, each of said strap members havinggripping means fastened at one end adapted to grip the sides of saidobject.
 4. The display device of claim 3 wherein said gripping meanscomprises gripping pads.
 5. The display device of claim 3 wherein saidgripping assembly includes adjusting means to move said first and secondstrap members and to move said gripping pads against said object.
 6. Adisplay device for exhibiting advertising material on an objectcomprising: a. a frame for supporting said advertising material; b. apair of supporting members attached to said frame, each of saidsupporting members being L-shaped and having a vertical leg portion anda foot portion, said leg portion having an opening therein; and c. anadjustable gripping assembly comprising first and second strap memberseach having gripping pads attached to one end, said pads adapted to gripthe sides of said object, said gripping assembly further comprisingadjusting means to move said first and second strap members and to movesaid gripping pads against the sides of said object, said grippingassembly passing through each of said openings to releasably hold saidsupporting members in a stationary position.
 7. The display device ofclaim 6 wherein said advertising material is hinged at the top so as toswing freely.